Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Topeka Man Sentenced for Gun Store Break-In
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka man was sentenced to two years in federal prison for a burglary at a gun store, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Darnell Tyree-Peppers, 19, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a federally licensed gun dealer. In his plea, he admitted that on July 23, 2017, he and another person broke into Integrity Gun and Pawn, 1949 SW Gage. Surveillance video showed two burglars wearing masks, hooded shirts and gloves smashed the front window of the store. They went straight to a gun case and grabbed eleven handguns before fleeing the scene. The stolen firearms included 9 mm pistols and 40-caliber pistols.
On Aug. 7, 2017, the Nevada Highway Patrol stopped a car in Nevada and seized a Walther .40-caliber pistol that was determined to be one of the stolen guns. Investigators later identified Tyree-Peppers and a juvenile as burglars.
McAllister commended the Topeka Police Department, the Nevada Highway Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard for their work on the case.
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